How is dark energy related to the theory of the Big Bang?
Dark energy is related to the theory of the Big Bang through its role in the expansion of the universe. The Big Bang theory states that the universe began from an extremely hot, dense, and compact state around 13.8 billion years ago. After the initial explosion, the universe started expanding and continues to do so.
However, scientists have observed that the expansion of the universe is not slowing down as expected due to the gravitational attraction between matter. Instead, it is accelerating. This accelerated expansion is attributed to the presence of dark energy.
Dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that fills all of space and is thought to have a negative pressure. It has the effect of counteracting the gravitational pull of matter, causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.
The discovery of dark energy and its link to the accelerated expansion of the universe has been a major development in our understanding of the Big Bang theory. It has led to the widespread acceptance of the "Lambda-CDM" model, where "Lambda" represents dark energy and "CDM" stands for Cold Dark Matter. This model describes our current understanding of the universe, incorporating the observed accelerating expansion and providing an explanation for it.